Mother
by Emily Hoyt
Summary: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She had been planning this trip for a week. Now, all she needed was for the detective to agree. A Rick and Kate romance, curtosy of Alexis Castle. Please read and review.


There are little spoilers. If you've seen the newest trailer, Kate has changed her hair a little. I know! Seems silly to mention, but I was able to use it, so I figured I should warn you. Also, they appear to still be working together in some capacity; I'm taking the liberty of assuming it's because they are once again on speaking terms, and I can't wait to hear those terms!

* * *

Richard Castle looked out the window to the street far below as he took a break from his work on his next novel. Everything around him reminded him of his muse and he heaved a deep sigh of relief as he thought back to the day he had revealed to Kate Beckett that her mother had not been a random incident. At first, a look of disbelief, anger and tremendous pain washed over her face and he was sure she was going to walk away from him and never so much as think of him again except for remembering how he had brought old, painful memories back to the surface.

"Kate, I really need you to listen. Then, if you still want me gone, I'm gone. I promise. Just hear me out."

She had sat down in the chair very silently and looked up at him, forcing her expression into passivism. He told his whole story, leaving out that one of the detective's co-workers had been the one to give him the file when she asked how he got it. 'Guard's a fan,' he'd said flippantly and continued to explain that he had already given the documents to his friend when he asked and that the case sidetracked him from addressing the issue once he found out how Kate felt. He took a deep breath before continuing.

The murder was not random, he told her calmly. He related the results of the coroner he had asked the favour of and this doctor had found the pattern of the stab wounds to be too precise to be simple gang violence. Tears welled in her eyes for a few seconds as the words came out of his mouth and he explained how the first one was the kill shot and the rest...

"It was for show," he said, his voice barely above a murmur. The droplets that had been threatening to flood her eyes finally flowed over and the tears began to pour down her face. He crouched down by her side and pulled her into his arms and, although more than a little furious with him, she accepted his embrace as she cried. "I'm so sorry!" he breathed into her hair. "I'm sorry! I never, ever meant to hurt you. I just wanted to help you," he whispered into her ear. She seemed to deflate.

"Castle...I... in time, I might be able to see this as a beautiful gift, but right now..."

"Kate, you have what you need now!" he said happily, looking her in the eye. "These patterns, there are other cases! If we compare everything and keep at it, we can find this guy."

"'we'? ", she parroted and his grin fell from his face. "Don't you think you've done enough?" she asked, her face a mask of indifference.

"Kate Beckett," he said softly and took her hands in his. "If you think I'd find something big like this and then leave you to do all the work alone and maybe even fall back into old habits, you don't know me very well. Unless you want me gone, Kate, I promise I'll be with you through this the whole way."

At his words, tears assaulted her face and, before she was lost to the sobs, she nodded and accepted his help before clinging to his shirt and continuing to cry.

That had been several months ago. To date, things seemed to be back to normal and, despite his mounting feelings for the detective, he would never jeopardize that by revealing to her that he was slowly falling in love with her. They worked together and they were getting along again and he was enjoying it too much to screw up what he had been terrified to lose entirely.

As he stood in front of the mirror in his room preparing for the outing Alexis had pushed him into, he wondered what he would do if ever she decided she'd had enough of him. Shrugging his shoulders as he pulled on his brown suede jacket over his hunter green shirt, he gave himself a once over, tried to place his hair and, finally gave it up as a bad job. He jogged down the stairs to find Alexis pacing by the door, looking down at her watch a couple of times before snapping her head up towards her approaching father.

"Dad! You're ready early!" she said with a touch of horror in her expression.

"Yeah, I am. Is that a bad thing?" he asked with a laugh, but she ignored the jab and continued to pace. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing!" she said quickly and grabbed her purse, her face suddenly turning sad. "Well, I guess we better get going," she said forlornly and Rick had to bite back his chuckle.

"If the idea of going out with me seems too horrible, I can let you out of it, but I will remind you this was your idea."

"No, no! I want to go. C'mon, let's get out of here," she said, picking her smile back up and walking over to swing the door open. As she did, she stumbled backwards when she saw Kate's hand quickly approaching to rap on her face. "Kate!" she squealed and the detective quickly withdrew her hand.

***

"Oh, God, did I hurt you?" Kate asked and leaned forward to take a look at the young girl. At the same time, Alexis looked up at Kate's hair and smiled.

"You're rocking' the red, Kate!" she said with a laugh, "but maybe I'm a bit biased."

"Just a little." Kate looked up beyond the young girl and saw Rick standing behind her in his green shirt, chocolate-brown coat and tight blue jeans. Why did he always have to look so damn good? "Hey, Castle."

"Beckett," he replied. "And by the way, my young Padawan is right; that color suits you."

Kate felt her cheeks flame as red as her hair and bit her lower lip in concentration. Her legs felt a little jelly-like and the last thing she needed was to collapse into his arms. She force circulation and strength back into her legs and stepped into the doorway.

"Um... are you guys going out? Because I thought you wanted me to come over today," she said, looking towards the red-head who stood silently. "Did you forget you were going out?"

"Forget?!" Rick bellowed with a laugh softening his wide blue eyes. She nearly lost control of her limbs again, but regained her balance just in time. "No way, she forgot! She's been planning this outing all..." and he trailed off, staring down at his daughter as she shrank beneath his glare. "Alexis Castle!" he said sternly and she plastered on her sweetest smile. "Detective Beckett has better things to do with her time than be part of your conniving," he said, but he could not keep the corners of his mouth from quirking upwards, somehow ruining the 'big menacing father' he was trying for.

"Castle, it's alright," Kate said and began to back out of the room. "I understand you guys have something planned. I'll swing by some other time," and she began to walk down the hall, but Rick stuck his head out of the doorway and called after her.

"For a detective, you're pretty clueless!" he called after her and got the desired response; she spun on her heel and stared daggers at him. "We were set up, detective," he said calmly and her eyes narrowed. "Today's excursion was not my idea; Alexis has been planning this little trip for nearly a week. We're going cosmic bowling and roller skating," he explained as she took slow steps towards him. "She knows I can barely stand on four tiny wheels strapped to each of my feet, but she planned it anyways."

"Oh," Kate said quietly. Then, her eyes widened. "Oh!" she said again and took a large step back. "Castle, it's alright. You have a good time today," she said quickly, but as she tried to leave yet again, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her back towards him. He tugged a little too hard, though, and she stumbled into his arms. He caught her and helped her straighten up as quickly as possible, but the feeling of her in his arms, he kept locked away in his memory even after she was out of his arms again.

"Beckett, she wants you to come with us," he said calmly and her eyes widened once more. "She's been planning this for a while and she's been asking me if she could maybe bring a friend. I think she was talking about you, Beckett. She would like you to come with us today," he said softly before shoving his hands in his pockets.

"He's right," Alexis said from just inside. Kate laughed and looked at him. His eyes softened and he smiled.

"Come to think of it, I'd like you to come with us too," he confided gently and Kate felt herself swell with happiness. She nodded a couple times and smiled. "She agreed," Rick announced and Alexis bounded out the door into the hallway with them. Alexis squealed happily and ran to hug the newly red-headed detective and Rick locked the door to his apartment before dashing off to catch up with the two women. They were already in the elevator and holding the door open. He skidded in and thudded against the wall, making Alexis and Kate laugh.

"Glad you're amused, Beckett," he said, massaging his nose with great exaggeration. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to stifle it, but had great difficulty. Finally, she suppressed it and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said with a grin, which he returned. "And, if we're spending a day together, call me 'Kate'."

"I'd be happy to, Kate. And, in return, I expect to be paged as 'Rick' and not 'Castle' for the day."

"Fine by me," she replied happily and stepped out of the elevator as it pinged its arrival at the lobby. They stepped out into the sunshine and went to Rick's car, Kate instantly reaching for the back door, but Alexis' snuck out and grabbed the handle first, ushering Kate into the front passenger seat instead. With a smile from Alexis and Rick's reassurance that he did not bite, she took the front passenger seat, buckled up and gripped the handle of her door, making Rick laugh.

"You really don't like it when you're not in control, do you, Kate?" She shot him a short glare, but her knuckles whitened as he took off onto the main streets, driving easily through the city to find Alexis and his favourite bowling alley. "So, Kate, what would you have been doing today if we had not pulled you along on our little outing?" he asked with a smile and she returned the grin, looking over at him.

"The truth? I'm not sure. Until I was invited to go bowling, I was under the impression that someone at the Castle residence wanted to talk with me," she said, shooting a glance over her shoulder at the red-head in the back seat of the vehicle, who grinned as her cheeks flamed as red as Kate's hair had once been. Rick laughed that rich laugh that she had heard only a few times, but know was reserved for something he was truly enjoying, such as the time that she had stayed for breakfast with the Castles after the wonderful night at the dance charity gala. She still remembered the feel of her body pressing into his as they danced together.

"Do you want the window open?" Rick asked and Kate's face spun towards him. "You look a little flushed," he explained and pressed the button to lower the window on the passenger-side door. She placed her face closer to the blowing wind and took a deep breath, knowing without a doubt that today was going to go by all together too quickly, and yet tortorously slowly at the same time. Taking one final breath, she pulled herself together, pulled her head back inside and looked over her shoulder at Alexis.

"Are you cold, Alexis?" she asked, instantly concerned when she saw the young girl's crossed arms. "I'm fine now. I can close the window!" she said and reached for the button, but Alexis stopped her.

"I'm not cold; I'm just thinking. I have this project due next week and I'm not quite finished yet. Something just came to me and I don't want to foreget it."

"Here," Kate said and reached into her pocket. "Even when I'm not on duty, I carry it with me. Like you, I get spontaneous ideas I don't want to forget," she explained and passed the girl a little notebook with a pen no more than three inches in length.

"Thanks!" Alexis said gratefully and began scribbling away on the little square of paper at the top of the pad, trying to cram everything she had thought of into one little sheet. She wrote as hurridly as possible while trying to maintain her penmanship and finished with a flourish. "Thanks a lot," she said with a smile and tried to hand the pad back to Kate, but the detectie held up her hands.

"You keep it. You're your father's daughter and something tells me I'd be putting it away for nothing. You'll probably need it again in about 2 minutes."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed and immediately flipped the pad open once again, making both Rick and Kate laugh lightly amongst themselves as his daughter scribbled on.

Not more than five minutes later, they had arrived at the bowling alley and were climbing out of the car, Alexis running to the back to pull two bags from the trunk. When she returned, Kate eyed the two bags suspiciously.

"We have an issue with wearing community property shoes," Alexis explained briefly as Rick came up behind Kate.

"Too many germs," he said, chuckling as Alexis shuddered in disgust. Kate turned to Rick. "That spray just does not inspire confidence." At that, Kate chuckled. "Say... do you have your own bowling shoes?" She shook her head and Rick looked at his daughter in mock outrage which she mirrored. "This is simply unacceptable!" he cried and took Kate's hand to drag her inside to the boutique.

She tried to open her mouth and protest, but he shushed her. "Please. Let me buy you your very own bowling shoes. Please?" he asked, putting on his best pout. Her knees wobbled and she looked away. "Kate?"

"Whatever. Just stop poutting; you look pathetic."

"Let me guess: the peanut cupcake commercial makes you weepy, too, hm?" She refused to answer and he laughed. "If you think I'm bad, you should see Alexis do it!"

"No, I'm good!" she said quickly. "I'm sure it's quite effective considering how wrapped around her finger you are, Rick."

"No kidding," Rick grumbled and Alexis responded by pasting on a pout. "Alright, you!" he laughed and pretended to lunge towards her before pulling her into a hug. "I love you, pumpkin," he said warmly. he released Alexis and turned towards Kate, his arms lifting and his mouth opening, but he caught himself and smiled. However, it was nearly five minutes later when her pulse finally returned to normal.

Inside, Kate spent about twenty minutes trying on a least a dozen pairs of shoes before Rick approached her with a pair that look like the spectator shoes of the early 1900's. She laughed at them for a moment, but submitted to trying them on. They slid onto her feet like a dream and, when she stood up in them and walked on the slippery hardwood floors, she knew that they were perfect. She slipped one off and was in the middle of turning it over to look at the price tag under the shoe when Rick pulled it from her hand.

"Rick, I don't feel right letting you do this for."

"It's my pleasure," he said and held out his hand for the other shoe to pass at the cashier's desk and purchase the new shoes. She laughed and slipped her own shoes back on for a moment to step out to the front desk and pay for their games. The gentleman behind the desk was kind and he rang up two games of ten frames on the register for them. Before Kate could say anything, Rick had produced a twenty dollar bill and asked when the cosmic bowling was beginning. As the words left his mouth, the white fluorescent lightbulbs turned off and were replaced by vibrant blue-purple lights. As they looked down, all the white of their outfits began to glow a brilliant blue like when a television screen resets. Kate smiled and a second later, seventies disco music began to blare through the speakers of the bowling alley and soon, everyone began to shake and shimmy as they waited for their chance to roll their bowling ball down the alley. Alexis smiled and thanked the clerk.

"You're welcome. And I hope you and your parents enjoy yourselves."

The trio fell silent, although Alexis maintained her wide smile while Rick and Kate exchanged an almost disbelieveing expression. The thought of being mistaken for a married couple with a teenage daughter was laughable, yet neither of them managed, too. It was Alexis telling them to hurry and come choose the weight of bowling ball they wanted to play with that shook them from their stunned state. Rick looked over at his daughter when she called out and smiled at her before turning back to Kate, his smile still in place. Kate tried to return it, but it stuck in her throat somewhere.

"C'mon, Kate... your daughter and husband are waiting," he teased and she took a small step back. She swallowed hard several times and tried to speak, but failed to entirely and, instead, made a mad dash for the ladies room, leaving Rick and Alexis to exchange a glance of confusion.

Inside the toilets, Kate stood at the faucet, letting the cold water run and splashing it on her face a little as she tried to stem the flow of her tears. When she lifted her head once more, she jumped a foot in the air and let out a shriek when she saw the novelist's daughter standing behind her, looking terrified.

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly and moved towards the detective who bit her lower lip and shook her head. "What's wrong?" she asked. "What did my dad say? Did he hurt you?" she inquired and Kate could not help the chuckle that rose within her. She shook her head again. "Kate?"

"Look, you don't need to worry, Alexis. Your dad has been... he's been a perfect gentleman," Kate reassured her, but her voice cracked at the end and another wave of silent tears trickled down her cheeks. "He hasn't done anything, sweetheart," she said and her mouth hung open when she realized what had just come out.

"Wow," Alexis said with a smile. "You're taking the clerk's comment seriously," she joked, but the smile slid from her face when the comment brought on a few more tears from the distraught detective. "Kate, is that what this is all about? That stupid comment from the front desk guy?" she asked and, when Kate didn't answer, Alexis moved closer.

"A while back..." Kate said suddenly and Alexis both stilled and went silent, "I was asleep, dreaming... I had this weird dream, acutally. It started off really stupid. Some older guy had a gun and he refused to let us write him up for stealing a pack of candies or something from an convenience store. Your... your dad was there with me and I had a gun and I was trying to talk the guy down. I know," she said with a grin when she saw Alexis trying to suppress her chuckles. "I know, I told you it was pretty stupid... It didn't stay stupid, though. I... I talked to him for a couple of minute and, I don't know, I guess I said something that triggered him... He pulled the trigger and... and he shot your dad," Kate said and Alexis pressed her lips together in a thin line as Kate tried to bite back the tears stinging in her eyes.

"Kate, it was just a dream... Besides, you probably woke up before-"

"No... no, I didn't," she said tearfully. "I saw him crumple and, when I put my finger to his neck, I felt his pulse fade away."

The two women stood in silence for a few minutes while Kate kept swiping furiously at the fresh tears pouring down her face. Alexis opened her arms and, although it might seem strange to anyone else, the comfort the young girl offered the detective was greatly appreciated. Kate hugged the girl back and , few seconds later, they broke apart with a sigh. Kate turned back to the sink and continued to splash her face with water. Alexis came a little closer.

"Kate, I want to ask you something," she said quietly and stood back when Kate straightened up again. Alexis took a deep breath and looked up at the detective. "The way the guy's comment got you and this weird dream... Kate, I have to ask: are in love with my dad?"

Kate felt the floor drop out from beneath her as her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest. How long had she known that she was slowly falling love with the novelist? Kate certainly hadn't had a clue until about a week or two ago. If it had taken her that long and she barely saw the writer's young daughter, how did this teenage girl manage to come to the same conclusion? Kate took a deep breath and was about to answer, but Alexis cut her off.

"You're about to ask what gives me that idea." Kate's eyes blinked several times, but she was still unseeing as the teenager continued to talk. "I hate to be the one to say this, Kate, but it is kind of obvious to a lot of people. I can tell by the things my dad says that you at least like him and, when he talks about you, I've never seen him look quite so happy. I saw what he looked like... what he was going through trying to decide whether or not to tell you about your mom knowing what it could mean and, believe me when I say I never want to see him that way again. His pout earlier... that doesn't even come close to how pathetic he looked."

Kate sighed and leaned back against the cool wall, resting her head against its smooth surface. This girl was wise beyond her years and Kate couldn't help but smile.

"You know what? What that guy at the front said about me being your mom... well, no matter what ever happens between your dad and me, I want you to know that if my daughter is half as beautiful, sweet and intelligent as you, I'll be ecstatic." Alexis smiled as he cheeks turned a lovely shade of magenta before she looked back up at the detective expectantly. "Yes, Alexis, I think I've fallen in love with your dad," she admitted and suddenly felt as if someone had finally removed the clenching fist that had been around her heart since she had realized the depth of her emotions for her shadow.

"YES!" Alexis cried out and punched the air, smiling and laughing and jumping up and down on the spot. Kate smiled as she watched the girl bounce and her hair fly all over. "I knew it. I knew it!" she said happily and jumped towards the detective, pulling her into a hug.

"Alexis... Alexis, calm down. It... it doesn't matter," Kate said and Alexis immediately looked up at her.

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter!?" she half screamed and Kate's assurence in herself diminished significantly. "You love him! That matters! And, Kate, believe me... I'm 99.9% positive it's reciprocated!" she said sharply and stared at Kate as her face slackened. Kate swallowed hard again.

"Re... really?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper at which the girl shook her head up and down so hard Kate thought she'd get whip-lash. "Oh..." Suddenly, something seemed to click and a look of complete disbelief washed over her face. "This was your doing!" Kate announced in shock and the smile slipped a little from Alexis' face to be replaced by a guilty grin. "You planned this whole damn thing! Heck, I don't think I'd be surprised if you told the front desk guy to say what he said!"

"Actually, I didn't. It just worked out!" she chirped before returning to looking guilty and at least a little remorseful.

"Oh, don't bother, Alexis! I know you're not the least bit sorry," she said pointedly and Alexis continued to grin guiltily.

"Not if my dad is happy with the outcome and you're happy, too. Kate, you're... my dad might like to have a couple wild nights here and there, but they never come home. I know you and him aren't technically together, but you're the first woman in my dad's life that he has invited to his house and who he talks about fondly and proudly... and who grandma has warmed to," she added as an extra and Kate couldn't help remembering when Martha had loaned her the necklace of rubies to go with the stunning dress Rick had picked out for her. It seemed like only yesterday that Kate had stopped by to return the necklace and had been half-asked and half-forced into staying for breakfast. That man certainly could cook!

"Alexis..."

"No excuses!" she snapped and Kate looked taken aback. "Go talk to him. He needs to hear it and I need you both to admit it!"

Kate looked at the fiery young girl and smiled so warmly, she thought she had pulled a facial muscle. "You definitely are your father's daughter." The severity of the girl's face flickered briefly, but never disappeared. "Alright, alright! I'm going!" she said and laughed as she walked out of the ladies room to find Rick sitting on a swiveling seat at a nearby unoccupied lane. When he saw her, he stood up quickly and moved towards her.

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly and her face scrunched in confusion. "I'm not positive what I did, but I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Rick."

"I didn't think I did anything, but I wasn't sure..." She laughed and felt her confidence creep up a little. The music pounded in the backgroud and she wasn't sure if it was the tune's fault that her heart was pounding in her chest or the man in front of her. She listened to the change of song and smiled when 'Hungry Eyes' began to blast through the speakers. Her eyes slipped closed and the film reel ran through her head as if she were watching it. "Kate?" Rick asked softly and when she opened her eyes, he was much too close for comfort. "Are you alright?" His voice sounded concerned, but his face was a wide smile.

"I, um... I like this movie a lot," she said softly and watched him return the smile. He gave a little bounce of laughter.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked and mild terror flooded her face, making him chuckle warmly. He held out his hand to her. "C'mon. Trust me," he said softly and, when his eyes connected with hers, she knew that the request was not only about the dancing. Her eyes flickered down to his outstretched hand for a moment before taking a deep breath and accepting his outstretched hand. he pulled her very close and began to move his feet a little, dragging Kate along until she began following him. Seconds later, he was dancing with her and spinning her out and pulling her back in. They danced in time to the music and, with a mischevious grin from Rick, he lifted her hand and began to spin her on the spot, making her squeal with delight before pulling her back into him.

"Warn a girl, Rick!" she laughed, but kept dancing all the same.

"You do like the movie!" he said with a smile and she began to laugh when she realized he had just done something that was part of the choreography from the Dirty Dancing film.

The song came to its conclusion and Rick spun her out and in once more, ending with her body pressed against the length of his. Both of them were a little breathless and Rick's face came dangerously close to hers, but he seemed to remember himself and gently let go of her, but kept his hand at the base of her back. He smiled and thanked her softly, but she continued to stare into his eyes as a slow smile spread across her lips.

"Rick," she whispered and lowered her eyes briefly. "I do trust you," she told him as she returned her gaze up to his to see his confused features. "I trust you, Rick. I do. And I just realized I never truly apologized for being a bit.. a bit awkward with you. It was kind of on purpose and I think I need to tell you that I'm sorry." Kate watched his Adam's apple bob a couple times as he swallowed hard and forced a little smile to his face. "I'm sorry, Rick," she said softly and he nodded his head up and down. "I really sorry."

"It's alright," he said softly and looked over to the lanes for three seconds, taking a deep breath. He turned his head back to Kate and found her face barely a foot from his.

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He swallowed again and, at Kate's soft smile, neared his face to hers by an inch. When she didn't pull back, he advanced a little more until they were barely centimeters apart. He inhaled deeply and Kate's eyes popped back open even though she didn't remember closing them. "Rick?"

"I love your scent," he said softly. Her eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I...I love you, too," he said with the corners of his mouth quirked upwards, but his eyes looking terrified. Kate felt tears well in her eyes and she let them slip closed, taking a deep breath and letting the smile consume her entire face. When she opened her eyes, Rick was watching her intently, fear mounting in his eyes with every passing second. She choked out a little laugh and sighed.

"I love you, too, Rick," she said and he picked her up, spinning her around, ignoring her squeals. She laughed and asked him to put her down, but he kept on spinning a little longer before setting her down on her feet and cupping her face in his hands. "I love you, Rick," she breathed out again and felt him pulling her face closer to his. "Rick..." she whispered and looked up at him with a smile. "You smell good, too," she murmured.

"You probably taste better," he grumbled and finally crushed their lips together, knocking the air out of both of them. Her arms wound their way around his neck of their own accord, but she wasn't exactly complaining. She felt his grip on her waist tighten and he pulled her tighter against him until she was as pressed against him as they could be in public. A moan bubbled in the back of her throat and Rick sucked it out of her, the kiss deepening more and more by the second. His hand tangled in her hair and she let her fingers play with the short tendrils of hair at the nape of his neck. It took a moment before she realized her toes were barely touching the ground, literally. She tightened her hold on his neck, unwilling to release him, but the demand their lungs made for oxygen won and they reluctant peeled their lips apart, though hovering only inches away.

"You do taste good, detective," he said, his voice warm and husky, making Kate warm again.

"Not so bad yourself, Castle," she replied, her voice just as hoarsely. Then, she smiled. "We have an audience."

"There's no one else here right now," he whispered, making her chuckle.

"Since when is Alexis invisible?" Kate asked and Rick spun instantly to look at the young red-head, making Kate double in laughter. Rick looked startled and was about tot start babbling when Alexis opened her mouth first.

"It's about time, dad," she announced with a smile and Rick sighed with relief, pulling his daughter into a hug. She tightened her arms around him and looked up at Kate for a second before opening her arms to welcome her into the embrace. A moment of hesitation flashed over her features, but Alexis and Rick stepped towards her and pulled her in, making her laugh. They hugged briefly and Kate relaxed into Rick's arms, feeling for the first time like part of a family.

"Now," Rick said, grinning. Alexis lifted herself out of the embrace. "How about we get around to that bowling?" he asked and Kate nodded, guiding her towards the lane they had been assigned. Still wrapped in each other's arms, they never noticed Alexis wink over to the front desk worker, who gave Alexis a thumbs up as she hustled towards her father and her... Well, maybe some day.


End file.
